These Hitters Could Really Make a Splash

In his book “Green Cathedrals,� a historical treatment of all major league and Negro League ballparks, author Philip Lowry revealed some unusual facts:

--Rocky Point Park in Warwick, R.I., home of the National League Boston Pilgrims in 1903 was the only park in major league history where the entire outfield was surrounded by the ocean. All home runs went into the water.

--Comiskey Park, Chicago: One day, White Sox shortstop Luke Appling heard his spikes hit metal. The game was delayed and a huge copper kettle was removed from the infield, and the resulting deep hole filled in.

The site of the ballpark was formerly a city dump.

Trivia time: How many times has a USC basketball team advanced to the NCAA Final Four?

Simply forget it: Ed Pinckney of the Boston Celtics, when asked by the Boston Globe to identify the toughest player in the NBA:

“Michael Jordan. Before you even come to the game, you’re thinking to yourself, ‘That guy is tough.’ Then, you get to the arena and the whole blackboard is covered with reasons why you’ve got to stop him.

“And none of them work.�

Say it isn’t so: A pinch-runner was sent in for Bo Jackson during a recent exhibition, causing Mike Littwin of the Baltimore Sun to comment:

“Imagine pinch-running for Bo Jackson. It’s like pinch-hitting for Ted Williams. It’s like pinch-jumping for Carl Lewis. Heck, pinch-running for Bo is like dubbing Brando.�

Balderdash: Some male swimmers shave their heads, contending that the removal of body hair increases speed.

Bald swimmer Doug Gjertsen says women should try it, too.

“I think a woman would look good with a bald head,� Gjertsen told the St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times. “Who was the woman in the ‘Star Trek’ movie (Persis Kambata)? Personally, I’m surprised no woman has tried it.�

Who are those guys?Chris Tucker, a virtually unknown pro from Charlotte, N.C., has had some success this year on the PGA Tour.

“I know everybody expected me to fold up like a cheap lawn chair,� he told Golf World. “But it’s easier to play out here than it is to win $50 off some of the guys I play with at home.�

Trivia answer: Twice, 1940 and 1954.

Quotebook: The Philadelphia Flyers’ Dave Brown, when asked if NHL players would carry signs on the picket line in the event of a strike: “That should be easy. We already have the sticks.�